


Love 101

by Zenico



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unrequited Crush, like really slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29370456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zenico/pseuds/Zenico
Summary: Jisung jumped at his words. "Of course-!"Seungmin didn't let him finish the sentence. His mouth kept moving without his permission. “Minho-hyung and I are dating. We have been dating for a month. "...Seungmin should not talk when he's angry. A fake dating au.
Relationships: Kim Seungmin/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 25
Kudos: 102





	Love 101

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thank you in advance for reading. English is not my first language so any mistake you can notice please do tell so i can fix it. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The library is one of his favorite places. He has a special fondness for this particular seat, the lighting is good, and the students' voices are just a whisper. There are not many visitors on the third floor and the study tables are hidden by shelves. The view is good. The sun's rays produce an ideal environment to study, it is an excellent place to concentrate. So yeah, it completely irritates him that he cannot do it.

Seungmin is good at ignoring things _or people_ that are annoying to him. When he was a child a helicopter crashed into his building and he just ignored it to go to class. It's easier to focus on his goals and principles. Lee Minho, of course, is not in his plans, not in today's at least. But there he is, sitting across from him while making that little noise that he knows annoys Seungmin. His finger is tapping on the study table. His gaze is calm even though he knows how annoying the sound is to Seungmin.

Seungmin tries to ignore it, he has been ignoring the newcomer for at least 6 minutes, but his patience is wearing thin. They both know it; they're just waiting for someone to give in first.

The black-haired man sighs irritably and puts his book aside. "Hyung, what are you doing here?" Seungmin finally asks.

Minho taps his finger on the table one last time before straightening up in his seat. His hands entwine on the table. He takes some air. There's something weird about him, something weirder than usual. Seungmin just keeps watching him, something akin to nervousness is written in Minho's gaze. Bizarre, it's completely bizarre to see such a grimace on Lee Minho's face. "I need your help," he says quickly, as if just saying that phrase has caused him more pain than should be possible.

"You need my help," the younger repeats incredulously.

"Kim Seungmin," Minho is looking at him unimpressed, but his ears are completely red. It's easy to see how embarrassed he is by doing this, it must be something important.

Kim Seungmin and Lee Minho are friends, not that close, but they are still friends. Their relationship is based on the satisfaction of teasing each other. Not that they hate each other, but they are not exactly close. They both have a circle of friends in common, and because of their careers they are prone to see each other, quite often, in a more work-related aspect. They are not the other's first choice if they want to ask a favor. Seungmin relaxes his face into a less puzzled expression. Kim knows that he can be annoying at times, but he is still a level-headed person who wouldn't take advantage of the vulnerability that Minho is showing.

"What do you need, Minho-hyung?" Seungmin asks.

"You are good at singing," Minho begins, his gaze straying to a point to the left of the tallest one. "You're also good at editing, although that's basically your major." He admits after a few seconds. Seungmin is silent because this is one of the most surreal moments he has experienced in his 20 years of life. Lee Minho doesn't give compliments, even when asking for favors he just doesn't give them. Much less to Kim Seungmin and that scares him a bit. What could Lee Minho need to provoke such a reaction in him?

"And your point is?" The raven asked slowly.

Minho takes a deep breath before speaking. "There is someone I like; I would like to record something for this person."

"Oh."

Minho looks at him expectantly, the sun's rays illuminate his face and mark each of his perfect angles. His hyung is an extremely attractive person and this is why he is one of the most popular drama students in college. Also, that popularity is due to his peculiar personality and his talent for acting. There is an abysmal difference between the person he is and the person he must interpret when he acts. So, the discovery that he is in love is unexpected, but not at the same time because since Han Jisung set foot in college the rumor of Minho being in love with him has only grown over time.

Seungmin has no problem with it, they are both his friends, and this would prove the theory that Hyunjin has been so proactively commenting on in their dorm. Minho looks at him expertly and Kim remembers that he still hasn't given an answer.

"Okay," he accepts without much difficulty.

Minho blinks consecutively, that gesture he makes when he's surprised by something, and Seungmin feels a bit insulted. He is not a bastard; it also gives him some satisfaction to know that he will be able to annoy him in the future. He is also sure that he will be able to make him buy coffee for him.

"Good," the older one slurred the word.

"Good," Seungmin repeats just to annoy the other one.

Just as he hopes Minho clicks his tongue, a slight laugh escapes Seungmin's mouth. They are not the best of friends, but there has always been a certain complicity in the way they interact. Minho looks mostly like someone who's not interested in people, but Seungmin knows that's not true. There are also hundreds of misconceptions about him. Only his close friends are the only ones who understand his sense of humor. Seungmin is not as innocent as he appears, and Minho is not so disinterested in people.

“I'll text you,” Minho declares as he stands up. The sun's rays accentuate his hair and Seungmin notices how the other's black roots begin to show. He'll probably dye it again in a few weeks, maybe he'll keep it brown or try something more daring. You can never tell with Lee Minho; the thought makes him smile a little.

"You have to buy me food every time we meet," Seungmin says absently as he opens his book to continue the reading that had been interrupted. Minho hums in recognition.

Again, he is alone, the weather is still perfect, and Seungmin has the vague thought that it is only March. Exams are still a distant concern, but he likes to study constantly so as not to suffer from long and endless nights of suffering. Also, someone has to be responsible. Hyunjin tends to collapse during midterms and cries at least once during the week. It is his duty as his best friend and his roommate.

The leaves of the trees make a sound thanks to the wind and he for a moment forgets his own existence. The important thing is what is on the pages of his book. Minutes go by and hours go by. Seungmin is not really aware of how much time has passed. He only knows that the notes of him continue to grow and that he has already passed the chapter that he had to read for his next class, but he does not care. The sun is about to set and someone is tapping him on the shoulder.

Seungmin looks up and Hyunjin is there with a tired face, but a slight smile. "Ah, Kim Seungmin, you should stop counting on me to remind you to go home."

The black-haired one smiles as he stretches. "I thought we were best friends."

Just as he expects, Hyunjin makes a face that many may qualify as adorable. "We are! The semester has just started and you're already acting like a nerd…” complains Hyunjin.

Seungmin just ignores him and starts packing his things inside his backpack. Usually, after Hyunjin's dance practice, Hyunjin comes to find Seungmin to go to his room together. It's not that Seungmin doesn't take care of himself, in fact, he's quite proud of how well he takes care of his health. Although he sometimes loses track of time, he always has an alarm set so he can return before it is too late.

"Minho-hyung was in practice?" The question escaped his lips before noticing.

Hyunjin gave him a strange look. "Yes, hyung was in class today."

Seungmin nodded absently as they both left the library. Some students were still inside the library while many others walked around campus. Spring brought the start of classes and a pleasant weather to go out, perhaps that had prompted Minho to do something about his feelings. Seungmin had never fallen in love, he had only come to think that someone was attractive. Knowing when someone is attractive is not a problem.

Hyunjin is a clear example of someone attractive. His features are beautiful and if that wasn't enough, he also had a sweet personality. Hyunjin is beautiful inside and out. His lips, his gaze, his hair; all of him is attractive. Still, even though he has known him since he was 15 years old, he has felt nothing but a deep friendship towards him. Seungmin is 20 years old and has never fallen in love. On the contrary, to Hyunjin who tends to love very fast and strong. He has seen him cry more than he would like, but still, he supposes that some magic must exist in being heartbroken. A book he had read during his freshman year in college said that people liked being in love because it made them think their life was more interesting. He wasn't sure if that was the case with Hyunjin, but what he was certain of was that if the next to break his friend's heart was a man, he would probably break his nose.

"You look thoughtful, Seungminnie, you're not paying attention to me," the blonde complained with a pout.

"I was just thinking that if your next boyfriend is an idiot, I'm going to break his nose," the black-haired one answered honestly.

Hyunjin made a scandalized sound. "Kim Seungmin!"

Seungmin just laughed. He wasn't kidding, but he didn't want Hyunjin to worry either. He really hoped that his friend could meet someone who deserved him, that he would see past his pretty face. Hyunjin who tended to trust faster than he should.

The campus is loud, full of life and Seungmin focuses on the person walking next to him. The talks with Hyunjin are simple, he has a good personality, and it is easy to get carried away by that joy that he transmits. That's a quality that he admires in his friend, his ease in making people feel comfortable in his company.

Their bedrooms are 20 minutes from the library. It is a relatively new building that is located near the music faculty. Chan, Han and Changbin are probably in classes inside the building or if they are not, they may be using one of the production rooms. His mind remembers again that Minho has asked for his help. Seungmin has experience in singing as he belonged to the school choir and studies singing at a music conservatory. He loves music, but he had never seen it as a career but as an activity that helps him relax.

He assumes that Minho choosing him is the most logical thing to do. The others who can help him are Changbin and Chan who of course are Jisung's best friends.

It is when he is cooking dinner that he sees the text message. It is direct just like Minho.

**Minho-hyung (7:34 PM)**

_Thursday at 4:00 pm if you are free._

Seungmin simply replied with a short. "Ok, in the library."

.

.

.

Minho studies drama, but also studies dance alongside the university dance group. He is the kind of person who gets noticed wherever he goes. His face is handsome and his personality, although strange, attracts people. Seungmin has never been attracted to that apparent magnetism. They probably wouldn't even have crossed a single word in his life had it not been for Hyunjin and Felix. Although that's not entirely true, Minho always wins a lead role in any college-produced movie. They probably would have seen each other on the set, but that would be it.

It's not that he hates Minho, it's just that it's still strange to note that even though they are in a hidden place in the library there are still glances that follow him.

Seungmin resists the urge to sigh. "What are you planning to do, hyung?"

Minho, again, has that almost shy face. "A cover. I could write the lyrics, but not the accompanying music. "

Seungmin nods. "Which song?"

Minho blinks slowly, there is a bit of hesitation in his actions as he slides his cell phone across the table. Headphones ready. Seungmin doesn't know the song, so he takes the headphones and listens. Out of respect he closes his eyes. These are Minho's feelings in the form of music. The lyrics express things that Seungmin has never felt, but still captively. Minho's tone of voice is ideal for music.

The last chords end, Seungmin puts the headphones on the table and slides the cell phone in the direction of his owner. “Your tone of voice would fit perfectly. We have to have sessions to perfect your singing, we need to book one of the soundproof studios. We are not from the music faculty, so we are not a priority. We need to check the vacant spaces. "

"I have nothing to do for now, we can do that," Minho offered.

Seungmin has the afternoon off so he just nods before continuing. "Then we can record and finally I take care of the editing."

There is a moment of pause when they both fall silent. "Are you coming, or not?"

Minho stands up without waiting for the other's response. Not long after, Seungmin follows his lead. Their walk towards the exit of the library is accompanied by glances. When they arrive at the music building, what Seungmin expects happens, as they are not a priority since none of them are students of the faculty, the hours in which they are available are not really favorable. Almost all of the available studios are free around 9:40 pm. Minho gives him a look and Seungmin sighs. The manager looks at them without any interest as they both write their names in the paper.

"Honestly, hyung, my pay sounds too low for what I have to do," Seungmin complained as they left the building.

"There is no use complaining now, you set the price for your services," Minho's eyes sparkled with amusement. The way he enjoyed his suffering should be illegal.

Seungmin rolled his eyes. “I'm going start today. Let's go. I’m hungry"

The cafeteria food was the cheapest, but Seungmin would make Minho suffer in the same way. On the outskirts of the university, but conveniently close to the facilities, was one of Seungmin's favorite restaurants. He couldn't eat there regularly because he was responsible enough not to spend his money without thinking about the consequences.

The tables of the place were packed with people, many were having lunch after school. Seungmin smiled when he noticed Chan eating alone at one of the tables. Without thinking much, he walks in the direction of the table.

"Hey hyung, can we sit here?" Asked the black-haired man.

Chan, who was concentrating on eating, looked up with a smile when he recognized his voice. The older one blinked several times to make sure he was seeing well. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Minho, without waiting for the elder's response, took a seat across from Chan. "Of course, to eat, Chan-hyung."

Chan opened his mouth as if to say something else, but in the end, he just shook his head and took another bite of his food. Seungmin, somewhat hungry, made a wave to call one of the waiters to ask for the order from him. Minho did the same.

“And how are classes going? We haven't seen each other in a while,” Chan asked as the other two waited for his food.

"We're just starting the semester, so I haven't had any really important evaluations," Seungmin replied casually.

The waiter returned with their drinks, so Minho couldn't answer. The conversation flowed easily. It was always easy to talk to Chan who always had the right words to say. All that kindness and wisdom was not related to age, Minho was only a year younger than Chan, but they were both completely different from each other. It was kind of funny to hear them exchange opinions.

The atmosphere was fun, and the food was definitely delicious, but Seungmin had a reading pending for class at 9:00 am tomorrow.

"I have to go now, I haven't finished a reading for my classes tomorrow," he announced. He took the bag from him and checked that everything was in order. Before leaving he proceeded to give a smile, the kind that annoyed Minho, as he said. "Thanks for paying for my food, Minho-hyung."

"Yes, yes, yes ..." Minho made a nonchalant gesture for his hand. “See you Sunday night, Seungminnie. Do not forget."

They were both exchanging smiles to irritate each other and of course they were succeeding. Chan silently watched their interaction. It was weird seeing them together, but he was glad they were spending more time together.

.

.

.

Being inside the music building on a Sunday night was never in Seungmin's plans, much less helping Lee Minho. Minho was waiting at the entrance with a bag on his shoulder. The light from the interior barely made it visible. Seungmin doubted that they were the only ones with plans to use one of the studios, but they certainly must be the only ones who were going to use it for something so _romantic_. That word and the name Minho in the same sentence gave him a headache.

The laughter of students, who were intending to go to a party, receded with each step they both took in the direction of the building's entrance. There was a possibility that Jisung was here somewhere. Those three: Chan, Changbin, and Jisung had a habit of working on their projects whenever they could. Many times, it seemed unhealthy to him, Chan didn't even sleep before 3:00 am. However, until now, no one had been able to correct those workaholic tendencies. Seungmin had always been proud of his ability to take care of himself. That ability that luckily extends to Hyunjin.

Inside the studio he finally takes out the sheet with the lyrics of the song. Seungmin offered the sheet of paper to Minho. "I was surprised that you chose an English song, hyung."

Minho accepted the sheet. "It was the closest to what I want to say."

Seungmin hummed at the other's answer. "That means we will also have to work on your pronunciation."

Minho clicked his tongue but didn't object to the black-haired observation. The sheet was filled with notes, musical notes, and remarks on pronunciation. As expected Seungmin always strived to do things perfectly, even though he was not directly involved. "Are we going to work by stanzas?"

“Yes, it seemed the best way to not overwhelm you. So let's get started, I don't want to go back to the dorms so late, ”Seungmin took a seat in one of the chairs facing Minho.

Time passed quickly. Minho has a good voice, but his pronunciation needs to be polished. Minho was good at taking criticism, he is always demanding of himself no matter what the subject. The whitish light in the room cast certain shadows that gave his face seriousness and maturity. Seungmin had his eyes closed as he analyzed the other's song. His mind was focused on his task.

The harmony in the studio was broken by the alarm they had set on their cell phones to go off 5 minutes before they had to leave. Two hours really could go by fast when you were productive.

"That surprised me, I thought it was earlier," Minho turned off his alarm at the same time that Seungmin did.

"That means we move on," Kim murmured as he began to pack his belongings.

Minho nodded. After closing the door and leaving the key with the manager, who seemed to want to be anywhere but there, they both left the building. Despite being at night the campus was full of students. Some seemed happy while others looked burdened. There was a great contrast. After walking for five minutes, Seungmin realized that Minho-hyung hadn't said goodbye and was actually still next to him.

"Hyung," he started slowly. "Your apartment is on the other side, isn't it?"

Minho nodded.

Seungmin then continued. "So why do you keep walking in this direction?"

Minho simply lifted his bag as if that was explanation enough. Seungmin had a bad feeling about it. Minho's eyes watched him with apparent innocence as he continued walking in the same direction as Hyunjin and Seungmin's bedroom.

"Aren't you going to pretend that your hyung walks in the dark for 50 minutes, Kim Seungmin?" Minho's impudence didn't stop surprising Seungmin.

"You can use a taxi," the taller one tried again.

“I don't want to wake Felix, I forgot my keys. I have practice with the dance group in the morning as well. See, it's more convenient this way,” Minho concluded.

Seungmin sighed slowly. If Minho decided something there wasn't much he could do about it. He hoped this was the last time he decided to do something like this. Hyunjin was probably sleeping too.

"Anyway, it's getting cold," Seungmin hurried.

Minho smiled. "I knew you had common sense."

At least the walk was not long, in a matter of minutes they reached their destination. Some students were in the community kitchen, but there were none that Seungmin knew of, so he just went his usual way. The fourth door to the right on the second floor was his bedroom. It was a room for two, so it wasn't exactly big. They only had a small space to put their desks and beds, plus there was a small bathroom. They didn't have much, but it was enough for Hyunjin and him.

As expected Hyunjin was asleep. Seungmin had told him that he was going out and that he shouldn't wait for him.

“You can change in the bathroom, hyung. I'll do it here,” the taller one whispered as he turned on the desk light so as not to wake the blonde.

Minho nodded as he headed to the bathroom, Seungmin preferred not to think about him bringing a set of nightwear. Right after putting on his pajamas, Seungmin remembered that he didn't have any sofa to offer as a bed or a sleeping bag. He sighed. _Again_. Lately it seemed like Minho-hyung just made him sigh. He would run out of sighs at this rate.

At least Minho was going to sleep in clothes, Seungmin thought when noticing the other's pajamas. Seungmin had heard a lot about his hyung's tendency to sleep in his underwear.

"If you plan to sleep in my bed you have to do it on the side near the wall," he stated.

Minho just shrugged and did so. Seungmin tried not to think too much about what he was doing and crawled into the covers. Luckily, they were both tired enough to fall asleep in a matter of minutes.

. . .

His 7 o'clock alarm was what woke him up and consequently Hyunjin as well. As he put on his glasses, he remembered that Minho had slept next to him. Seungmin blinked in bewilderment when he noticed that there was no one next to him. Had he dreamed it?

“Hey, Seungminnie. I didn't listen when you arrived last night,” Hyunjin yawned sleepily.

"I arrived quite late," Seungmin explained still sleepy and puzzled by the other's absence. There was no way that would have been a dream.

The blonde finally got out of his bed after stretching. “Ugh, I hate Monday's dance group practice. I love dancing, but who ever thought of scheduling a practice at 8:30? "

"Certainly not a student," said Minho who was just coming out of the bathroom. His hair was wet so he must have just finished bathing.

Hyunjin's scream had probably woken up all of his flat neighbors. Seungmin flinched in pain, hoping they would not get complaints.

"Minho hyung, you almost scared me to death!" Hyunjin exclaimed excitedly with a hand on his chest. "What are you doing here?" He asked more gently. His expression, however, still reflected his surprise. Whatever traces of sleep there might be on his face were gone.

Minho simply blinked in his direction, an unreadable expression. Seungmin quickly understood that there was no easy way to explain what he was doing here without going into detail why.

“He stayed here because he forgot his keys, anyway, we were together last night. It was the most convenient thing to do,” Seungmin chimed in as he got to his feet. “Are you going to shower first, Jinnie? I have classes at 9, we can't be late. "

Hyunjin finally snapped out of his stupor and nodded quickly. "I'll make it quick so you can shower," after giving Minho one last puzzled look he went into the bathroom.

Seungmin stifled a yawn.

"See you later," Minho said after a moment. Typical Minho-hyung, he had just pretended nothing had happened. Although, certainly, it was much better that way.

The black-haired man simply nodded as he said a simple "bye."

Making his bed was one of the activities that, although tedious, gave him some comfort. It was part of his morning ritual. It gave him time to collect his ideas and wake up properly. Hyunjin, like always, would take around 20 minutes to get out of the bathroom. This time he looked awake and composed, a more usual image that he associated with his best friend.

"I'm going to take a shower," he announced as he made his way to the bathroom in the clothes he planned to wear.

For a brief minute it seemed that Hyunjin wanted to ask him something, but in the end, he just nodded as he headed towards the closet in search of his practice clothes. He played music and then got into the shower. The hot water was one of the little blessings of waking up early. Seungmin softly hummed the tune of the song that was playing. That was one of his other routines. Playing music that he liked helps him feel more optimistic in the morning.

His outfit was casual, he still felt a bit tired. Comfort was a must on days like this. Coming out of the bathroom, Hyunjin was sitting on his bed looking at Seungmin's desk as if it were a difficult problem to understand. That was unusual. Usually at that time his friend was ready to go to his practice.

"Hyunjin?" Asked the black-haired man puzzled.

Hyunjin seemed to come out of his reverie due to his words. "Seungmin," the blonde started slowly. “Minho-hyung came back 5 minutes ago. I thought he had forgotten something, but he… left that to you. "

Seungmin finally noticed the plastic bag that was on his desk. When he got a little closer, he could see that it was food. It was true, Minho hadn't bought him something yesterday, this must be his payment. "Ah," the raven-haired man said eloquently.

Hyunjin looked at him puzzled. “Minho-hyung brought you food. _Minho-hyung_ , the same Minho-hyung who said that you two couldn't be 5 meters close to each other or there was a possibility that you would end up fighting with swords in a parking lot. "

Seungmin snorted. He had completely forgotten about that conversation from last year.

"It’s his duty to feed me from now on," Seungmin announced cryptically. Before Hyunjin could say anything else he added, "Hyunjin, it's 8:00 am."

The blond immediately stood up, said a little curse and took his personal items as he sped out of the room. Hyunjin had always mentioned how his instructor didn't appreciate being late.

Seungmin sat on his chair and went through the package Minho had left behind. He would no longer have to worry about buying food. It smelled good and looked appetizing. Without much thought, he started to eat breakfast, it was certainly not cafeteria food. At least he could recognize how Minho spared no expense when it came to buying food. Unintentionally his mind wandered, Jisung would probably gain weight once he started dating Minho-hyung. Poor soul, he thought amusedly as he chewed his food.

.

.

.

Being in the music building on a Wednesday at 10:00 pm was still not in Seungmin's plans. At least he could tell that Minho had been practicing on his own, the first part of the song was ready. The practice continued for around two hours and Seungmin ended the session. Once again, as he left the building, it was hard not to notice that Minho was following him. Seungmin gave him a fixed look, but Minho more than returned it. Wasn't Minho-hyung one of those who appreciated his personal space?

Just like Sunday, they both followed the same routine. Seungmin fell asleep, but unlike last time, Minho's voice woke him up. The older one was asleep, Seungmin could tell that, even so, he was muttering words. Felix had said that he had once seen Minho asleep on the couch in his apartment and that he was talking. Apparently, this was true. Seungmin had to suppress a laugh hearing him curse. Elegant.

The tallest decided to close his eyes and go back to sleep. He hoped that Minho wasn't the kind of person he beat up in his sleep.

When he woke up again the rays of the sun were filtering through the window. Hyunjin was sitting on his own bed. He was watching him as he took a gulp of his drink. Seungmin assumed it was coffee.

"What time is it?" He asked sleepily. On Thursdays he only had one class at noon so he could wake up late.

Hyunjin drank some more of his coffee. "It’s 9:00 am."

"Have you gotten to breakfast yet?" Seungmin asked again as he sat on his bed.

“Not really, Minho-hyung came by to drop you breakfast a while ago. He brought me some coffee,” Hyunjin was staring at him, but Seungmin just nodded to the blonde's annoyance. It was not his place to explain the situation.

Again, he ate the food that Minho had brought him for breakfast. After the fourth time Minho slept at their place, Hyunjin just stopped sending him hints and started eating as well. They usually saw each other twice a week. The song kept moving slowly and when March turned into April the song was finally ready. At least Minho's singing and pronunciation.

The recording rooms were exclusively for students belonging to the music department, so they had to record Minho’s voice with what they had. Seungmin could borrow one of the recording booths from the communication department, but Minho didn't seem so happy with the idea. So that's why Seungmin was in front of Minho's apartment door. He knocked on the door again, his shoulder aching from everything he brought with him. It was a Thursday night that he could use to study, but here he was, selling himself for food.

“You can come in; Felix doesn't arrive until 9:00 pm. We can finish filming before he arrives,” Minho reported quickly as he opened the door.

Seungmin nodded as he put on the slippers to enter. Felix and Minho's dorm was much older than Seungmin and Hyunjin's, but it was much more spacious. It has a small bedroom for each other, also there was a small built-in kitchen. He was guided into the room on the left. Minho was neat or so his room implied. There were several pictures of his cats on the desk. Seungmin took out the laptop from his backpack. There was a microphone and other necessary equipment to record.

They finished the recording as planned, before Felix arrived. The Australian's cheerful voice filled the apartment. Both Minho and Seungmin were smiling upon hearing the other.

“I'm home!” He yelled joyfully, although it was obvious that he was tired. A few steps approached Minho's door, after knocking on the door Felix spoke again. "Hyung, can I come in?"

Minho, who was focused on Seungmin's laptop, simply mumbled a sound that could be taken as an affirmation. "Have you had dinner yet?" Asked the older man absently.

Felix's smiling expression turned confused when he noticed Seungmin. "Hi, Minnie, what are you doing here?"

Seungmin simply smiled in the blonde's direction. "Seungmin is going to sleep over today."

The aforementioned turned to see Minho with a raised eyebrow. "When do we agree on that?"

"Are you planning to walk for an hour in the middle of the night?" Minho asked.

"I didn't bring sleepwear," Seungmin countered.

"Then you can wear mine," Minho said.

Seungmin almost laughed at the proposal. "Hyung, I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm much taller."

"Sleep in your underwear, Seungminnie, but if something happens to you, I'm going to have Hyunjin bothering me in the morning," some irritation was visible in the older man's voice.

The black-haired snorted. "Okay, I'll let Hyunjin know."

Felix, who had been watching the exchange in silence, beamed. "I'm going to make dinner then!"

Minho quickly intervened. "I already did, but you can set the table."

Felix waved his hand and left. Seungmin just decided to focus on editing the song. After a few minutes Felix called them for dinner. Seungmin always appreciated spending time with the Australian. His personality was pleasant and cheerful. It had been lucky to meet him in his first year when they were both studying English. Felix was taking the course to feel comfortable and not be so pressured in his first year. Seungmin took the class because it was in his study plan.

Felix, unlike Hyunjin, simply acted as if Seungmin's presence was nothing extraordinary. Seungmin was in charge of washing the dishes and drying them, he didn't want Felix to get the wrong impression of him.

Editing took about four hours. Seungmin was a perfectionist, Minho too. They both spent the night working on the project and when they finally finished all they wanted to do was sleep. Minho had found clothes in his closet that Seungmin could fit. The night passed without any eventuality and when he woke up there was no sign of Minho except for a text message saying that he had prepared breakfast for him. Apparently, he had classes at 7:00 am.

Felix was dozing drinking coffee at his little table. "Hyung made you breakfast," the blonde pointed in the direction of the microwave. Seungmin nodded wearily as he got ready to eat. He had classes in a couple of hours. He didn't have enough time to go to his bedroom and change there. His first class was near Minho and Felix's dorm; therefore, it was on the other side of campus. Minho had already lent him a pair of shorts and an old shirt to sleep on. At least he should have a hoodie that was his size, so he could hide that he was wearing the same clothes from the day before. Besides, he could leave his recording equipment here and then come back for it later.

Seungmin never left his room without his toothbrush so at least that wasn't a concern. He really didn't want to invade Minho's privacy, but he didn't have enough time to feel terribly bad about it. Seungmin smiled in relief to find a hoodie that was his size. It was one of those big hoodies that Minho wore to his dance practice. Seungmin was sure that he had seen it a couple of times. After bathing and putting on his clothes, he realized that he couldn't find a comb to brush his hair. Yongbok was taking a shower so he didn't want to disturb him. Time kept passing and he really had to go. In the end, the only logical solution he could find for his messy hair was to wear one of Minho-hyung's caps.

Seungmin really hoped that Minho was grateful enough not to kill him for it. After saying goodbye to Felix in a hurry, Seungmin hurried to his first class at 9:00 am. During these classes he received a text from Minho telling him to meet in the music building to play the song in one of its rooms. Seungmin remembered again that Minho was doing all of this for Jisung. He had never fallen in love so he couldn't understand the older man's reasoning. Still, he hoped they would be happy together.

Seungmin had never been particularly good at noticing people's stares. Hyunjin had told him that there were several girls at school who were interested in him, but he had been more concerned in many other things. The university, his future, his sexuality; all of that seemed much more important to him at the time. Perhaps, because of this, he was not able to notice the stares he was receiving.

. . .

Minho was watching him unimpressed. "Are those my clothes?"

"They are," Seungmin agreed quickly.

The brown haired one sighed. “Anyway, let's go. I'm sure they can lend us a room for a few minutes. "

Seungmin nodded glad that he didn't have to talk about it. Minho carried the backpack that had Seungmin's equipment on his shoulder. There weren't many rooms available despite it being Friday night, but the manager had told them that room B should be free in 5 minutes. So, both Minho and Seungmin wrote their name in the form.

Room B seemed to be still busy, so they waited patiently. After 5 minutes both Seungmin and Minho were getting impatient Both of them appreciate punctuality. Behaviors like this used to irritate them easily. "I'm going to open the door," Minho announced suddenly.

His hand took the doorknob. Many things happened at the same time, Seungmin held his breath and Minho froze in his place. The door was ajar, and noise filled the hall. The voices were incredibly familiar, normally they would have elicited a smile from Seungmin. The circumstances: however, they were not pleasant at all. Never in his life did Seungmin think that the voice of Changbin, Chan and Jisung could bring him discomfort.

"So, you're not interested in what they say about you and Minho-hyung?" Changbin had asked curiously.

Jisung hadn't taken 5 seconds to answer. "Those are just rumors and I'm not interested in Minho-hyung like that anyway."

Seungmin swallowed hard at the same time that Minho said a quietly "ah". The sound, though low, was loud enough to attract the attention of those in the room.

"Hello?" Chan had asked as he got to his feet. His intention to open the door was notorious as were Minho's shaking hands.

Seungmin moved without thinking. More gently than he thought possible, he had removed Minho's hand from the doorknob. At times like this their height difference was useful. Seungmin stepped in front of Minho, to cover up some of the hyung's fragile state from the people inside the studio. This was only temporary; he was giving him a few seconds so that he could take control of his body.

"Hey, hyung," Seungmin greeted with mock cheer. His chest ached and he didn't even want to think about what Minho must be going through.

"Seungmin," Chan greeted cheerfully, but his expression changed to one of concern as he noticed who the person was with him. "And Minho, what brings you here?"

Jisung, who had been sitting, turned pale and stood up. The tension had increased in a matter of seconds.

"Hyung ..." Jisung seemed not to know what to do with himself. None of the 5 knew what to do or how to proceed.

Minho found himself gripping the USB that was holding the song he had been working on for a month. His way of telling Jisung the way he felt. Minho knew that Jisung loved music, so he had decided to do something that demonstrated that in a language that Jisung understood. Seungmin felt sick to his stomach. Jisung wasn't forced to like Minho romantically, that was logical, but… Still, he was angry.

So angry that he started talking without thinking. "We're working on something together, that's why we're here, but you guys look busy, so we'll be back tomorrow," Seungmin licked his lips before continuing. “I'd just like to clarify something before we go though. Those rumors are false. "

Jisung jumped at his words. "Of course-!"

Seungmin didn't let him finish the sentence. His mouth kept moving without his permission. “Minho-hyung and I are dating. We have been dating for a month. "

And with that the room fell silent. Realization passed across Chan's face as if a puzzle had finally been solved. A friendly smile settled on his lips. As expected, Chan had accepted his words as truth. Seungmin was sure that he was about to congratulate them when Changbin yelled. "You're wearing Minho-hyung's clothes!"

And Minho, who had been hiding behind Seungmin's back, finally stepped forward. His face had a smile that did not reach his eyes, the black-haired man looked away. "Ah Changbin, if Seungminnie stays to sleep with me the most appropriate thing is to lend him my clothes."

Changbin's face reddened at the same time as Seungmin's ears. The sentence was harmless on its own, but the caress on the arm that Minho had given him along with the way he said it… Everything indicated that Seungmin had had sex with Minho the night before.

Seungmin cleared his throat. "See you later then," he said hastily.

They both left behind a still gaping 3RACHA. Seungmin's thoughts were a mess, what had he done? Minho would surely kill him as soon as he got the chance. Seungmin wanted to kill himself. Minho's hand tightly grasping his arm was what stopped him from walking. Seungmin tried to focus on the person in front of him. Minho's eyes were watery and red, but there was no trace of moisture on his face.

" _Thank you_ ," Minho's voice shouldn't sound like that, but he did. He sounded broken and tired.

Seungmin was bad at comforting people. He really hated that about himself. "It does not matter."

Minho simply nodded. Maybe he wanted to say something else, but after giving him a smile he left in the direction of his dorm. Seungmin was tempted to ask him to spend the night with him, but he refrained himself. Minho was a reasonable person so he wouldn't do anything stupid. Not for something as trivial as a broken heart. Seungmin forced himself to think that.

His walk home was quick. His mind was still fresh with the memory of a fragile Lee Minho.

"You're finally here!" Hyunjin yelled as he saw him walk through the door.

Seungmin frowned at the other's scream. “Don't speak so loud, Hyunjin. The neighbors will come to leave complaints. "

“Don't change the conversation, Kim Seungmin! Jisung called me 15 minutes ago to ask if I knew that you and Minho-hyung were dating! _And you know what I said?!_ ” The blonde looked agitated. He was walking in circles.

Seungmin swallowed the fear he had of Hyunjin saying it was a lie. "What did you say?"

“ _I said of course I knew!_ What kind of best friend wouldn't know that his friend is dating someone? ” Hyunjin said accusingly.

The black-haired man relaxed. “Hyunjin, we have been sleeping in the same bed. It wasn't exactly a secret. You could have asked. "

"But I asked!" Hwang exclaimed.

Seungmin denied. “You never did, you just looked at me expecting something, Jinnie. Then you stopped caring because you were also eating the food that Minho-hyung brought me. "

Hyunjin opened his mouth indignantly and then closed it again. Seungmin was right. The attack had finally passed and Hyunjin flopped down on his bed. " _Wow_."

Seungmin nodded. Since Hyunjin seemed calmer he decided to escape for a moment to take a shower. He wanted to text Minho-hyung just to make sure he had reached his apartment safely, but he decided not to. He probably wanted time to himself. When he got out of the shower, Hyunjin was already lying on his bed. Seungmin sat on his. It would be Saturday shortly, but he had work to do. Worrying was not healthy.

Unfortunately, Hyunjin had other plans. “So… have you already had sex with Minho-hyung? Wait! Who tops and who bottoms? No, forget it! I do not want to know! Poor Felix, you are staining his home,” quickly the blonde sat on his bed. "You better have just slept while hyung was staying here! I sit in your bed too!"

Seungmin threw a pillow at him before Hyunjin could continue his spiel. “I want to sleep, Hyunjin. I'm tired."

The blonde was silent for a second before saying. "Oh. So yesterday was one of _those nights_ , that explains why you were wearing hyung's dance group hoodie. Comfort clothes, I see,” Hyunjin crooned happily.

Seungmin internally screamed at the other's words. He had never seen Minho's hoodie, but he had seen Hyunjin's. This one had Hwang Hyunjin written on the back, which meant that he had been walking all day with a hoodie that said Lee Minho on the back. How had he not noticed? _How had Felix let him go dressed like this?_

And even though he was feeling horribly embarrassed, at least that would make Jisung think that he wasn't lying. Seungmin thought one last time of Minho's vulnerable face and fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I love 2min so deeply. It's a shame there are like 350 fics at most. I planned to write a long first chapter, but after looking at my notes I realized that I have written over 7000 words and I just finished the first point that I wanted in my first chapter so… this is a short introduction. This is a slow burn fic, like a really slow burn fic. Thank you so much for reading!


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